Ticking Clock
by Swamp Fairy
Summary: Peter retreats into his own mind to solve the next event of the Pattern. Olivia, Walter, and Astrid clean up the mess. First posted fanfic, please read! T for language and violence. Bolivia.
1. Chapter 1 Gone

**This is the first fanfic I've ever uploaded, so I'm really nervous. Please read! Pretty please. Also, I'm not exactly sure what I'm soing, so forgive me if there's anything wrong with the spacing or labels. Also, I stole this basic idea from the fanfic 'The Dreamscape.' Read that, too!**

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Chapter 1- Going Under

"Remember, son, you have to focus. If you don't focus, you could get stuck in your own sub-cranial hallucinations. Trapped in a loop, some might say. A coma."

"Got it, Walter," said Peter, stretching out his legs. The straps around his waist, chest, and wrists were tight, and the chair was small. That combined with the fear of what he was about to do was almost enough to make him claustrophobic.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Olivia, a frown creasing her brow. "I could go under instead, or we could think of some completely alternate solution."

"We both know there's no other way," Peter said. Anyways, if there was any way to prevent her from going under, he would take it without second thought. The tank was bad enough. There was no way she was doing this, too.

"Just remember I'll be here the entire time," she said. He wanted to wipe the worry off her face.

"It's all ready," said Walter, clapping his hands in delight. Olivia moved reluctantly aside to let Astrid get to his arm. He balled his hand into a fist, the vein sticking out. Astrid jabbed in the needle. He didn't wince as she taped it in place.

"Don't worry, son. Though it will seem like longer, it will only be for an hour. Or two. Or three. Or twenty four. Depending on how long it takes you."

"Who's worried?" asked Peter. "And you still haven't told me what I'm supposed to be doing."

"I haven't, have I. Because I don't know. It's different for everyone. Asteroid, turn the IV drip up to 30 drips per minute."

"Nothing's happening," commented Peter a minute later.

"Soon, soon," murmured Walter. "You got food, correct, Olivia? Because we may be here for a while."

Olivia was answering, but suddenly, there was a ringing in Peter's ears. His head felt heavy and the world swam in and out of focus.

"It's starting," said Peter, or at least he thought he said it. Olivia's face appeared against the swirl of colors. A flash of fear drilled into his body. A strange noise was coming from somewhere. He realized he was moaning. Why? He thought fuzzily. It wasn't particularly painful. Olivia looked really worried. Another flash of fear jolted through his body, and this time, it didn't disappear. Something terrible was happening. He didn't want to be alone.

"Don't leave me," he tried to say to Olivia, but there was a flash of bright light and he was gone.

* * * * *

Olivia had a bad feeling about this. She finally knew how the others felt every time she went into the tank, and it wasn't a good feeling. Peter didn't act worried, strapped into the chair, but his back was stiff and he kept clenching and unclenching his fists.

"You got food, correct, Olivia?" asked Walter. "Because we may be here for a while."

"Of course, Walter," she sighed. How could he think of food right now? "Chinese food, as ordered." Then Peter's entire body went slack. His head lolled back and she dropped closer to him.

"Peter? Are you alright?" she asked anxiously.

"Relax, girl. This is supposed to be happening," said Walter, opening a bucket of rice.

Peter started moaning low in his throat. His eyes rolled wildly.

"Peter?" she asked. His back arched, his limbs straining against their straps.

"It's starting," he monotoned, in a voice as far away from his own as possible. Then his eyes latched onto hers and for a second, his face tightened and it was Peter again.

"Don't leave me," he begged, his fingertips brushing hers in desperate attempt to grab her hand, hopelessness deep in his voice, then his eyes closed. He was gone.

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**So how was it? Like it, hate it? Concrit is welcome, as are any suggestions for future chapters. There is a little button right there. It says review. Move your mouse over it… hold down… now release!**


	2. Chapter 2 Hope

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I had no idea reviews could make me so happy! ********! I'm having a LOT of fun writing this story. Hopefully you'll have just as much fun reading it!**

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Chapter 2- Hope

He opened his eyes and for a moment, couldn't see a thing. He lay still in the dark and slowly, his surrondings came into focus. He was lying on the cold ground, water soaking into his back. There was a deep, musty smell hanging in the air. Dead leaves. He was in a forest. He grunted, sitting up. His whole body was sore and stiff, and his shirt was wet all over the back.

He put his hand out behind him, feeling until he found the rough bark of the tree. He leaned back against it, looking up at the sky. No stars flecked the night and the moon was barely a sliver, not lighting the ground around him enough to see anything. It was quiet out. No wind rustled, no animals stirred.

"Hello," came a voice, right above him. He nearly jumped out of his skin. He scrambled to the side, prodding at the ground until he grabbed a large stick. He held it up threateningly.

"Who are you?" he asked. A small woman crouched across him. She almost seemed to glow, illuminating the woods around her. She was tiny. Small and slender, thick blond hair cascaded down her back. Her skin was as pale as fresh snow with a strange green tinge and her eyes were unnaturally huge and sparkling blue. Her head tilted quizzicly to the side, and her round lips tilted up into a smile. She barely seemed human, but in a strange way, she was beautiful.

"Does it really matter? I am here to help you," she purred. Her voice was high pitched, but it resonated deeply.

"Great," he muttered, clambering up. She stood up with him. She was wearing strange clothing. It was a tank top and skirt, but they were badly tattered and stained with black and crimson liquids. She wore no shoes, and clutched a shawl around her shoulders. For some reason, she felt familiar.

"That's right," she smiled. "Sense me. You know."

He closed his eyes and reached out to her with his mind. He was so close to knowing who she was… but he pulled back, abruptly snapping the connection.

"I don't have time for this bullshit," he growled, striding away. But what was it he had to do?

"You're going the wrong way," she lilted. He turned around, staring at her for a minute, then strode the way she was pointing. It was nice here, cool out, but not too cold. There was a strange smell lingering in the air, but it was a good smell. As he walked, the trees grew less and less frequent. The tangle of vines and tall grass beneath his feet slowly turned into stones in some sort of pattern.

Pattern. He was here because of the pattern. He had to focus. He had to do whatever he had to and get back. For Walter. Astrid. Olivia. He had gotten distracted. Cursing himself, he drew their faces in his mind. Astrid's smiling face. Walter, chuckling. Olivia, with her long hair and amazing eyes and perfect smile…

"Who is she?" asked the girl, materializing next to him. He jumped. He had thought she had disappeared a little ways back.

"A little warning next time?" he growled.

"Someone you care about?" she pressed.

"Who?"

"The girl you were just thinking about."

"How do you know what I was thinking?" he asked. She just smiled.

"Yeah," he finally said. "Someone I care about."

"And does she care about you?" she asked, the smile on her face growing until it stretched (almost literally) from ear to ear.

"I don't know," he said softly. "I hope so."

* * * * *

Peter thrashed like a fish. His back arched so high, Olivia feared he was going to hurt himself. He poured out sweat by the gallons, he was covered with dead skin. Walter was taking reading after reading of his heart, blood pressure, and brain activity. He barked out orders to Astrid to change the drips, to pulse electricity into the chair, to inject him with some fluid or other. It was up to Olivia to wipe his face or to put the bit in his mouth so he didn't swallow his own tongue.

She didn't have a chance to eat. Peter had started raking his nails against his palms, drawing blood. She cleaned it off, forced small juggling balls into his hands so he would squeeze those instead. He was burning with fever, the cold water did nothing to help. Olivia felt so bad for him, she felt physically sick. Her entire body ached for him, for his pain. He was tensing up so much, he burst a blood vessel in his wrist.

His back spasmed again, higher this time. Olivia heard something crack. She pushed down on his chest, trying to keep him still, and something under her left hand gave and she found herself wrist deep in blood. He had broken a rib and she had just forced it up through the skin.

"Be careful, dammit," barked Walter, but he wasn't angry. He laughed again, maniacal laughing. For the first time, Olivia found herself honestly fearing him. She had had no idea he could be so cruel. He could do this to his own son. But then she looked again, truly looked, and saw the fear hidden in his eyes. He was almost as afraid as she was.

Olivia grabbed a length of gauze, wrapping it around his chest. They had nothing else and there wasn't time to get anything better.

A knock rang out. Walter muttered something obscene under his breath and Astrid answered got it. Charlie strode in, but pulled up short when he saw Peter. Spazaming, dripping sweat and blood, and moaning, he was an awful sight. Olivia tried to wring her washcloth over his face again as he started to noislessly cry, but ran out of water. She hurried over to the sink and Charlie came up beside her.

"I am so not going to ask," he muttered, glancing over just as Astrid pumped electricity into the chair. Olivia nodded wearily, pushing her hair back.

"Listen. You want me to take a turn?" asked Charlie. His reluctance was clear, but his question was sincere.

"Thanks. But he asked me to stay with him. I have to do this," she answered, smiling weakly at her friend.

"You really care about him, don't you?" said Charlie.

"He's one of my closest friends," she said, looking down.

"That's not what I meant," said Charlie seriously, looking down at the blond. When she gave no response, he gave up and asked, "Will he be alright after this?"

"I hope so."

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**So I brought Charlie into this chapter. We won't see too much of him (I grind my teeth everytime he has any screen time on the show and my least favorite quote is when he asks Olivia if Walter is stoned), but I figured I might as well. Also, there's not much action in this chapter. I promise to try and put more in the next! I forgot the disclaimer last time, so here it is: I do not own Fringe. I do not own Olivia, or Peter, or Walter, or Astrid, or Charlie (thank GOD). Anyways, REVIEW. How about this: if you leave a review, I promise to respond. Cross my heart and hope to… well, I don't hope to die, but I do hope to join the Fringe Division!**


	3. Chapter 3 Hell

**Again, thanks to everyone who reviewed last time! This chapter is a little shorter, but I promise the next one will be longer. I'm going to try to update every day, but don't hate me if my muse goes on vacation! Disclaimer: I don't own Fringe. Be glad. If I did, the show would probably be terrible! O_O**

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Chapter 3- Hell

"We'll be there soon," said the girl, smiling wide. Her smile never seemed to disappear.

"Where?" asked Peter.

"You'll see."

"Of course. Would it help if I said please?"

The girl laughed in delight.

As they walked, the moon seemed to grow larger and rounder, swelling until its silver glow practicly filled the sky. Everything brightened. The stones under his feet were in strange pattern. They were mostly red black, but the white ones formed arrows pointing in all directions. Though it had been quiet before, now, strange cries echoed eerily through the woods. Peter stopped to think.

"Monkies!" he exclaimed. "Like at the zoo near where I lived as a kid."

"Did you like the monkies?" she asked, stopping. He stopped too.

"I always liked the crocodiles best," he said, grinning at the memory.

"Why?"

"I liked their color and… wait. What the hell are you trying to do?" he snapped, pushing past her. She followed.

"Go away! I don't need your 'help.'"

"I'm sorry," she apologized, her smile almost disappearing.

"You're distracting me on purpose. No way you're sorry!"

"Please! I'm just doing my job."

"And who assigned you this job?" he asked, glaring at her over his shoulder. She just smiled again.

"Bitch," he muttured under his breath. "Fine. You can come. But don't expect me to talk to you." She grinned hugely, her teeth glowing eerily in the bright light. She began to hum.

"Do you really have to hum?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"Does anyone have to do anything?" she replied crypticaly. But she stopped humming.

To Peter's right, a clump of bushes rustled. A low, long growl rolled out. He grabbed a stick up and held it towards the shrubbery. Crouched over defensively, he backed up.

"Come out!" he yelled. The bushes rustled again and down at knee level a pair of eyes glowed red. An animal, then.

"Shoo! Get out of here!" he yelled at it. It moved forwards slowly for a few inches, then leapt out of the bushes with the force of a guided missle. Unable to believe his eyes, Peter bellowed in shock and tripped, rolling backwards. Getting up, he stared at the thing in front of him, unable to believe his own eyes.

"What the hell?" he gasped.

* * * * *

It had only been an hour, but Olivia was dead on her feet. One of Peter's wrist straps had broken and his face was covered with scratch marks. He had convulsed so badly that pale white bone had ripped through the gauze on his chest, which was soaked with blood. Charlie had gotten a first aids kit, so she had finally managed to slow the bleeding, but he was white and pale and (when he wasn't convulsing) shaking. Olivia covered him with a blanket, but he threw it off every time she put it over his chest. She just kept picking it up and putting it back over him.

This was worse than almost anything she had ever done before. She couldn't imagine what it would be like if Peter got trapped in a loop, as Walter had said. If he got stuck in his hallucinations, he could keep going like this until they stopped taking care of him and he died. It could be over a week before they realized he wasn't coming back. A week of this. Then Broyles would come with some injection and she would have to help him steal Peter's life instead of save it. She didn't think she could do that. No, she knew she couldn't do that.

And of course, all that was assuming that he didn't kill himself before then. He had such a high fever and he had lost so much blood. Olivia was afraid he would die right here, without ever waking up. As she tied his hand down with rough rope, she realized tears were dripping down her face. He stilled for a moment and she just about collapsed into the chair beside him, wiping her eyes. A hand fell on her shoulder.

"It'll be alright," said Astrid, smiling sadly at the other woman. "Don't worry."

"Astrogen! More electricity!" called Walter, opening a third bucket of rice. Astrid hurried over to do his bidding and Olivia jumped up. She didn't want to think about what it would be like if Peter died. He had become a part of her life. She didn't think she could handle her job, or pretty much anything at all, without Peter's snarky comments and shoulder for her to cry on.

"What do you mean, you don't have one?" Peter had asked, amazed, when he had found out she didn't have a best friend. But I do have a best friend, she thought. It's you.

Peter's eyes flew open. They were glowing a bright blood red.

"What the hell?" she asked.

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**Oooooo spooky ending to Peter's part, right? That was my goal, anyways. The promise to respond seemed to work well for the last chapter. So if you review, I promise to respond. Plus also, I'll give you a cookie! And not a crowbar to the head (God that would be a wonderful way to die. Peter hitting me with a crowbar… ahhhh… I would probably throw myself at his feet).**


	4. Chapter 4 Hard

**Hi. Ok, so this a short chapter. I'm sorry, my muse abandoned me half way through. Muses are strange, and mine was determined to get stuck on a Bones fanfic. I already wrote the next chapter though, and it's long. So. Read!**

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Chapter 4- Hard

It was Broyles. Rather, it was Broyles's head and arms. The head stared up at him, red eyes glowing. Instead of a neck, a pair of arms sprouted out and he used them to move.

"Peter," said Broyles.

"I repeat. What. The. Hell?" he asked.

"We don't have time," said the head. "You have to hurry."

"Hurry where?" he asked. Behind him, the girl giggled.

"To the City. You have to get back soon."

"Get back where?" he asked. "Damnit! Why do I keep forgetting?"

"It doesn't matter! All that matters is that you must get to the City!"

"What city?" he asked. "What do I have to do there?"

"The City of Spades. You'll know what you have to do when you get there," said Broyles. "That girl can help you. Don't be frightened."

"I am not afraid!" he yelled.

"And don't be afraid to let your feelings show," said Broyles more softly.

"What are you talking about?" he snapped.

"We're talking about you, of course," he said. "You are Peter Bishop, are you not?"

"Yeah," Peter said. "You are Broyles, are you not?"

"Ah," he said non-commitedly. "Perhaps. That is a question, is it not?"

"Um," said Peter.

"You're going in the right direction. Just keep going down this road. Good luck, Peter. You're going to need it." With that, the head moved backwards into the undergrowth, keeping his eyes on Peter the entire time.

"Come back!" he yelled, but more softly now. Broyles was gone. "Bastard," he muttered.

The girl giggled. "That's not a nice word!"

"So. What can you tell me about this city?"

"We have to find someone when we get there."

"Great," said Peter. "We're off to see the wizard."

The girl cocked her head at him curiously. "What's a wizard?"

"Never mind," Peter said, wishing there was someone here who would get his joke. He had had someone in mind. But then the name was gone. Who was it? Someone who would've laughed. Someone he tried to make laugh…

Olivia! He cursed himself over and over. Why was this so hard?

* * * * *

"It's fine, it's fine," said Walter. "Just his light receptors going wild. His brain doesn't understand."

Olivia shuddered. His eyes were bulging out. They looked huge. Suddenly Walter leapt over to him, and shoved Peter's eyelids down, pushing hard.

"What are you doing?" Olivia yelled, afraid he would pop one of his eyes. If that was possible.

"Quick! Get duct tape!" Walter yelled back.

"Why?" she asked.

"Don't question me! You are so, so like him in all the bad ways! Do you want his eyes to pop out? Because that's what they're going to do!"

"Sorry," she muttered, scrambling for the heavy, silver tape. Walter ripped off a piece with his teeth and stuck it over Peter's face. It didn't stick.

"Damn it!" he growled. "Get the blood off his face!"

Olivia grabbed a dry washcloth and swiped it over his forehead. Walter jammed the tape back over his eyes. Then sat down and grabbed another bucket of chicken. Panting, Olivia sat back, staring at Peter's pale skin. His fingers were moving like wild. Olivia hoped he was calmly playing the piano, wherever he was.

"Yes," said Walter, glancing at his fingers. "He looks almost like he's playing the piano, doesn't he."

"He plays for you," said Astrid softly.

"What?" asked Olivia.

"When he plays his best, he's playing for you."

Olivia swallowed the lump in her throat. She bent over Peter, tightening the gauze and trying not to cry. Why was this so hard?

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**Alright. I made Walter a little too mean, I think. He'll be nicer in the next chapter, I promise. Anyways. Now that you've read, review please! Maybe hypnotism: Your eyes are getting heavy. You feel sleepy. Review. Review. Review. As always, I love concrit and suggestions for future chapters or other fics. I shall update soon. Farewell!**


	5. Chapter 5 Angry

**Ok, so I am not a happy author. I have a lab-top in my room without Internet I write all my stories on, then I flash-drive them to the family computer with Internet. This way, no one in my family can read what I write. But I lost my flash-drive, so now I have to re-write my chapter. GOD, I HATE RE-WRITING!**

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Chapter 5- Angry

A hill. The first change in the scenery. For miles, it had been a mostly flat-ground forest. Now, hills were popping up everywhere. Literally.

The hills were growing out of the ground in a matter of seconds. One second, Peter would be walking on the path and the next, he would be flung into the air on a rising lump of ground. It was unsettling, to say the least. The trees were thinning out, becoming nothing more than patchy, scrawny shrubs every 5 yards. The sun was half sunk and long shadows stretched out like long, tapered fingers. Peter's mood was sinking with the shadows. He was tired, hungry, his feet were sore, and every few seconds, he would be thrown roughly to the ground.

"God, I hate this," he muttered. The girl burst into peals of laughter as she was thrown to the sky by another hill popping up.

"It's so much fun!" she yelled back at him. He jumped to the side to avoid a small tree tat had been uprooted.

"Yeah. Loads of fun," Peter growled. "How much longer is this going to last?"

"You don't like it?" she pouted.

"NO!" he shouted, dirt raining down on his head.

"Fine," she said, crossing her arms. Instantly, the land fell still. Hills rose like sleeping forms, as far as the eye could see.

"Wait. You did this?" he asked incredulously.

"Uh-huh. All that walking was getting boring."

"You're able to control the ground?"

"Not usually. But my masters..." she broke off, glancing anywhere but at him. But still, a small secretive smile danced lightly on her face.

"This was to slow me down," he said.

"The walking was boring," she defended. "And yes, I am supposed to try and slow you down. I don't like doing it, though. I like you!"

"Great," he said. "Just great! Seriously. If you're not going to help me, go away! Broyles said you were going to help me!"

"I am. I'm helping you, and slowing you down! Isn't it great, that I'm able to do both?"

"No. It is not great! Can you at least take me to someone who CAN help me, if you won't?"

"I am helping you," she said, frowning. "And anyways, I am. In the City of Spades, the Raven can help you."

"The Raven?" he asked.

"Yes. Now can we walk?"

He strode away from her in silence, fuming. She was like a child. There was no in between right now. She was with him or against him. He was angry at her for going against him. He was angry at her for creating a gray area. He was angry at her for following him. He was angry at himself for wanting her to stay with him. He was angry.

* * * * *

Peter's hand movements had changed. Now his fingers were bunched together at the tips, but his wrists were making circles and arcs. Other than his wrist movements, however, he was completely still. He didn't cry, he barely bled, he didn't spasm. This was so much worse than before. Before, though he had been in a bad condition, at least she had been able to help him. Now, she could do nothing. She felt so empty, so useless.

Walter was eating. Again. Now he was tearing apart fortune cookies with great fervor. Astrid was staring at Peter like she was trying to solve a puzzle. Olivia paced back and forth.

"If you would like to syphon off some of your nervous energy, Miss Dunham, you may brush Gene," offered Walter.

"No thanks."

Astrid snapped loudly. She jumped up and ran across the lab, grabbing a pen and piece of paper.

"His hand movements!" she exclaimed. "He's drawing!" She pushed the pen into his hand and slid the paper underneath, onto a book for a hard surface.

"Astrid, you're a genius!" said Olivia, hurrying over.

"She is very smart, isn't she? She and Gene could have such wonderful conversations!"

"Walter, enough with the cow obsession!" said Astrid. Olivia's eyes were fixed on the piece of paper. A woman's face was quickly taking form. She had a pretty face with a huge smile. Her eyes were also large, and like a child's drawing of a light bulb, lines radiated out of her. She was glowing.

Astrid flipped over the paper. Now a landscape. It was eerie, desolate. Strange small hills rose over the hard ground, only a few small, dry trees poked out of the ground. Long shadows stretched over the land like little black rivers. Not a building was in sight, but against the horizon, two small figures were silhouetted against the sun. One of them stood tall, the other was shorter with long hair blowing out to the side. They appeared paused in mid-step.

Olivia handed a new piece of paper to Astrid. She deftly slid out the old one and slid on the new. Peter was drawing a face they new now, he was drawing Broyles. Just Broyles head, though. Below his head, a pair of arms sprouted. Olivia shivered as Peter was shaded the background a pitch black. His hand was getting smudged with ink. He colored so hard the top corner of the paper ripped. Peter's blank face contorted, and he continued scribbling onto the book. Astrid grabbed the pen out of his hand.

Olivia hated this so, so much. She hated doing this. She hated all the death and pain surrounding her. She hated the pattern controlling her life. She hated the people doing this. Suddenly, she was desperately angry.

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**So it turns out I didn't re-write it. This is totally different from the original chapter five! Oh well, if I find my flash-drive, maybe I'll stick it in later. Now. Make me a happy author again and please review!**


	6. Chapter 6 Never

**Chapter 6. My flash drive is still MIA, so Chapter 6 is different too. Oh well. So Fringe is back!!! Actually, the new episode kind of disappointed me, but the next one looks good. We shall see. We shall see.**

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Chapter 6- Never

"How soon will we be at the City?" demanded Peter crossly. They had been walking for several more hours without food. They had found a stream so at least he wasn't as thirsty as he was before, but his feet ached like mad.

"It's just over that hill," she said, pointing. "And no, I didn't make that one. That one's real."

"Great," he groped. "Another half hour."

"No, not at all!" she said. "Much sooner than that."

"It's going to take us a while to climb that thing."

"But we won't climb it!" she exclaimed. "We're going to be carried up it."

"Yeah. By a raven, right?" he quipped sourly.

"Of course not, silly. The Raven's too small. We'll be carried by Gene."

"Gene?" he asked in disbelief. "A cow?"

"The cow that jumped over the moon shouldn't have a problem with a hill."

"Wait. The cow that... never mind. Not going to ask."

"But questions are the keys to the doors of the universe!" she beamed. "Oh, look. Right on time!"

A loud 'moo' echoed out of the hills behind them. Peter spun around. Sure enough, a giant cow lumbered out of the shrubs. Peter couldn't tell if it was Walter's Gene or just a cow. With the same name.

"Moooooooooooooooooooooo," the cow moaned, coming to a standstill.

"Hop on!" called the girl, sliding a leg over the cows back. Peter winced and gingerly climbed on. Unlike his father's cow, this cow looked like it had never been brushed. Worse, it smelled like it had never seen a bath. It probably hadn't.

"You have to hold on reeeeeeally tight!" she called over her shoulder.

"What have I gotten myself into?" he asked himself, then he was in the air. Suddenly, he could believe that this cow jumped over the moon. She soared way over the hill, curving almost to the clouds. Peter gasped for breath. He glanced down, and immediately wish he hadn't he turned to the front, tightening his arms around the girl's waist. God, they were high.

They began the descent. Peter closed his eyes as tightly as possible. They hit the ground and lurched a few steps. Peter slid off to the ground.

"Never again," he gasped. "Never again."

* * * * *

Olivia was tired of this. She wanted to go home and take a warm relaxing bath and then drift off to sleep with a whiskey bottle in her hand. She wanted to play with Ella, complain to Rachel. This was NOT what she wanted to be doing. But she knew she couldn't leave.

Peter stared up at the ceiling. His pupils were tiny, almost his entire eyes were white. He had gone completely limp. Nothing moved. His chest barely rose and fell with his breathing. Hell, he barely breathed.

"Walter?" she asked. "Is this... normal?"

"Yes," he said. "Completely. And by the way, is there any chance of getting some more of these little delightful cookies?"

"No, Walter. Not now," replied Astrid, watching the blond agent sadly. Then she jumped, covering her ears. Peter was screaming.

It was horrible. It was an unearthly, animal sound. Shivers raced down Olivia's spine as she clasped her fingers over her ears.

"Make it stop!" she shouted at Walter. "What do we do?"

"Shove your fist down his throat!" he bellowed back. Olivia stared at him for a moment, but a tiny bit of blood splattered out of Peter's mouth, so she jumped over to him and forced her fingers down his throat. He fell completely silent and still once again. She withdrew her hand, shaking slightly. Her hand was covered in spit and blood and mucus. She winced, wiping it on the washcloth.

"God, I hate this," murmured Astrid.

"My sentiments exactly," agreed Olivia, pushing hair out of her face. Peter was going to survive this. Olivia was determined. Then Peter started shaking, much harder than Olivia. It was like his whole body was vibrating. His teeth clanked and clattered and he nearly broke his leg straps. Olivia passed a hand over his face. He was freezing cold. She thrust a blanket over him, practically laying on his chest to keep him from throwing it off. She looked up at Astrid, horrified.

"Never again," she murmured. "Never again."

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**I'm silly. I'm having Peter ride on a cow :) ! Just a warning: I'm not going to update on Easter. Sorry, but I'm going to be doing egg hunts and other ridiculous, fun, childish activities. I still have a toddler's heart! Now. Be the Easter Bunny and give me an egg: review!**


	7. Chapter 7 Hate

**We're almost to the action, promise! Next chapter.**

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Chapter 7- Hate

He finally straightened up, facing backwards. The cow was ambling off, gnawing on some scraggly grass. He wiped off his forehead.

"Warn me next time, will you? I get a little nervous, plunging a few hundred feet straight down without a seatb-" he turned around and froze.

"Wow," he breathed. The City of Spades stretched out as far as he could see. It was the most beautiful city he had ever seen. The buildings were domes of smooth, silver metal. They were seamless and shiny and the windows were so clean, you could almost believe there was no glass there. The streets (a strange golden material) were as seamless and clean as the buildings. Every few feet, a glowing orb of light hung in midair. The balls of light were all different colors. Flowers grew on the sides of the roads, but they were flowers unlike anything he had ever seen. They grew up to 11 or 12 feet in some places and they seemed to shine, to reflect light. They were in all colors, like the balls of light, but the stems were all a pale purple.

"Welcome to the City," the girl laughed, spinning around in a huge circle, her arms out.

"This is... amazing," he said. "But... but where are all the people?"

Though the city was large and beautiful and clean, it was silent. Not a single person moved. Not a single animal scampered down the street.

"It's after curfew," she said solemnly, staring at him unblinkingly with her huge eyes. "If anyone was caught outside, they'd be killed."

"But who would catch them?" asked Peter. He didn't see any guards or cameras.

"There are invisible dogs. They patrol the streets."

"In... invisible dogs?"

"Yeah. Actually, we have to find one who will take us to the Raven."

"Wait. I thought you said that the dogs killed people?"

"They do. But one of them will help us," she said and giggled.

"And does the one that is going to help us kill people?" he asked.

"Well, he has to stay undercover somehow!" she exclaimed. "Come on."

"Won't these invisible dogs see us? Or smell us, or whatever?"

"Hm. They might. That wouldn't be good."

"No, it wouldn't. It would be perferable for us to avoid death. And speaking of it, can I die?"

"Everyone can die, even you. If your conscience dies, yes, your body would die too."

"Great," he muttered. "Back to the problem at hand. How do we find your friend dog without getting eaten?"

"Um... I know! Do you have a dog whistle?"

"No, I do not have a dog whistle. Do you a giant steak?" he quipped. She looked excited, but then her face fell. "No. I ate it."

"Wow," muttered Peter. "So how do we find your dog?"

"He'll find us," she said. "We just have to leave him a message."

"I suppose he can read, too," said Peter sarcastically.

"No. But he can smell blood."

"Blood?" asked Peter, feeling queasy.

"It'll take 2 minutes. I cut myself, you just have to spread the blood on the street."

"Why do I have to spread the blood?"

"My scent is familiar," she explained. "They'll smell me and come running."

"And they won't smell me?" he asked dubiously.

"Of course they will," she giggled. "Just not as soon as they'd smell me. Just be fast and pray that one isn't where you're about to step."

"Wonderful," he muttered. "God, I hate this place."

* * * * *

The cow had broken loose. Olivia didn't know exactly how, but suddenly, the cow was standing over Peter, mooing.

"Gene! How nice of you to visit!" exclaimed Walter, hurrying over.

"Walter. Put. The. Cow. Away. Now!" yelled Astrid. "This is NOT the time!"

The cow swung it's head around, bumping a vial of liquid. It spilled all over Olivia and Peter.

"Oh no," murmured Walter, staring at them. Olivia turned to face him.

"What was that?" she asked calmly.

"It was... a drug I was working on."

"What does it do?" she asked, grabbing a wet washcloth. She frantically tried to wipe the red goop off Peter, then herself. It came off, but left strange read marks where ever it touched.

"What did it do?" she shrieked again, panic building. There was such fear in Walter's eyes, she couldn't breathe. Whatever it was, it was all over her. And worse, it was all over Peter. This was the closest she had come to hysterics in a long time.

"Calm yourself. You're hyperventilating," Walter said.

"It'll be ok, Olivia," said Astrid, grabbing the phone. "We can call the hospital, they can get rid of it. Walter, just tell us what it does!"

"It... it was a prototype. It's supposed to be used in surgery someday. It can burn away whatever it touches, painlessly, without blood. It's a very special acid that not only wears away whatever is under it but seals whatever is on either side. It also is supposed to calm the mind, but it does the opposite. You're probably going to have a very brief, compressed equivalent to a nervous breakdown. And it should complicate things quite badly for Peter."

"You're telling me this acid is going to leave holes. In my body."

"It shouldn't bleed," he tried to pacify her.

"All the way through."

"I'm sorry, my dear."

She could feel a scream building up in her throat. He wasn't joking about the nervous breakdown. Her fingers were twitching like mad. She was hyperventilating, she felt lightheaded. Holes all the way through her body. She whirled away furiously. She felt so trapped, compressed. She could barely move.

She slammed her fist against a table and screamed, "I hate this place!"

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**So this is a slightly longer chapter, I'm sorry I didn't update for 2 days. Please forgive of me, I beg of you. Now. Please review. If you are reading this note, there is magic in it. You will review. You can feel the pull of the mouse already, can't you? It's out of your control. Just go with it. Review!!!!!! **


	8. Chapter 8 Wow

**I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever. Musical rehearsal at my school goes till 8 o'clock after school every day. Then I have to practice Irish dance and piano for, like, nearly an hour. Then I have supper and then I have to crunch to finish my homework. Just pretend I was on a hiatus! I'll update as much as possible, promise.**

**Anyways, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, especially Jasper303, mygoldenglow, Ikchen, coolbeanseh, WJobsessed, and xcharmedgirlforevax. And especially especially I Was Here Moments Ago, who has reviewed every chapter. Thanks! Reviews are LOVE.**

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Chapter 8-

"Why can't you smear the blood?" complained Peter. She stared at him for a moment, the corners of mouth twitching a notch higher.

"Because they know my scent. They'll be on me in, like, two seconds. You might have a couple of extra minutes. If they aren't right there when you smear the blood."

"So basically you're telling me to smear the blood on the street and pray they aren't close by?"

"Are you fast?" she asked, tilting her head to the side quizzically.

"Pretty fast, yeah."

"Then pray and run like hell," she advised him. "It'll have to be my blood for him to come. Otherwise..."

"I get the picture," he grumbled.

"Here it goes," she said, and pulled a knife out of the side of her skirt. It was long and rusty and jagged, and Peter winced just looking at it. But the girl grinned, running her fingers lightly down the edge. Peter noticed several scars on her arms and shuddered, realizing that the red spots weren't all rust.

"Hey," he said, suddenly feeling protective of her. "Don't overdo it, okay? We shouldn't need too much blood." She simply smiled and drew the knife down her arm. She let it trail from the inside of her elbow all the way to her palm. Her blood was a hot red, unnatural. It spurted out, drenching the knife.

"Go, fast!" she exclaimed, ignoring her bleeding arm. He looked at her helplessly, then took off running down to the street. He bent down, wiping it on the street. He was straightening up when her heard the growl. He spun in a circle, searching frantically for the dog. Then he remembered it was invisible. He Faced the street, knife out. Bad choice.

It smacked him in the back. He fell to the ground with a crash, struggling to roll over. It was on top of him, it's breath hot in his ear. He could feel warm spit trail down his neck. He twisted his arm, jabbing upwards. There was a yelp and he managed to throw it off of him, spinning around. Blood was pooling in invisible fur, and now he knew where it was. He leaped towards it, knife out. Then he felt something tearing down his leg and blood was dripping off his own limb.

It dashed at him, but he jumped out of the way just in time. He circled, jabbing at it. He got it's leg and it was limping too. They were wary now, pacing themselves. It moved first, pouncing on him. He stabbed upwards, but it had him pinned down. He wiggled furiously, but it had him completely immobilized. Then some of its spit dropped in his eye. He bellowed, squeezing his eyes shut. It burned like hell, searing his eye. Suddenly, the dog didn't seem so important.

Then the pain was gone. It just stopped hurting. He catiously opened his eyes and breathed in sharply. The invisible dog was none too invisible, and it was huge.

"Big puppy," he breathed. It roared furiously, and Peter tried once again to wiggle away. It still had him trapped, though. He grunted, flexing his wrist. He had once last chance.

He strained his hand, twisting it up as far as he was able. His heart sank. It wasn't far enough. He squeezed his eyes shut as it leaned down, opening its mouth wide. He thought dimly of Olivia, hoping she would be ok. It pushed on his chest hard, one last time. Then it was flung off him. Another giant dog had tackled this one to the ground and was batting at tis head with its huge paw. The dog that had attacked him finally fell still. He climbed up on shaky legs.

"Crap," he whispered.

* * * * *

"Olivia! It's okay, it's going to be okay," said Astrid, grabbing her arm. "Just breathe. Relax and... and..." Astrid stepped back in shock, dropping Olivia's arm like it had burned her. There was an indent the size of a quarter on the back of her hand.

"Oh dear," whispered Walter. "It's already starting."

Olivia felt tears well up in her throat. But she was not going to cry again. Peter. She had to focus on Peter. Stay in the game. She sat down, trying to breathe.

"Walter. Is there an antidote?" she asked. He was muttering softly to himself, his fingers twitching.

"Walter!" she shouted. "Focus!" He jumped up, staring at her.

"Excuse me," he said. "I... I..."

"It's okay. We just need to know if there's an antidote."

"Antidote. Antidote," he said. "Hmm. Did you know the word antidote is derived from the latin word 'anti?'"

"Yes, thank you, Walter," snapped Astrid. "Now think. Solution."

"Yes, that would be good, wouldn't it?" mused Walter. "Yes, I believe I should be able to remedy it. But the cortexiphan will make things more difficult. I shall need some."

"Some cortexiphan?" asked Olivia increduously.

"Yes. Are you deaf? And blood. Lizard blood. Everything else I have."

"Lizard blood and cortexiphan," repeated Olivia numbly.

"It's okay, we can get that," said Astrid.

Olivia walked over to Peter. He had no indents yet, but the thought of him riddled with holes made her sick. She steeled herself.

"Yes. We can get that," she confirmed. "Astrid, call Charlie, all right? Let him know about the lizard blood."

"Where are you going?" asked Astrid as Olivia pulled on her coat.

"I'm going to talk to Nina Sharpe. We need answers, now."

"I'll stay with Peter!" exclaimed Walter. "He needs to be supervised at all times now. It should be getting furry."

"Hairy, Walter," corrected Astrid, pulling our her phone. "It's getting hairy."

_Cortexiphan. Lizard blood._

"Wow," Olivia muttered.

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**So I just found my flash drive. Hooray! It made me a very happy little person. In fact, the only thing you could do to make me happier would be to REVIEW! Seriously. You can say one word if you want. Just review!**


	9. Chapter 9 Go

**And again. Here. We. Are! Chapter 9. Thanks for everyone who reviewed! Claimer: I own Fringe. No, seriously! I do! I have legal documents and everything. Ok, I don't. But if you believed me, you get a cookie!**

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Chapter 9- Going Under

The dog stared at him with big, black eyes. But he made no move to attack. Peter and the dog stood, looking at each other. Then the girl skipped down.

"Charlie!" she cried, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Hello," the dog -Charlie- replied. He had a low, rougher voice, but sure enough, he sounded like the FBI agent Peter knew.

"Charlie," said Peter.

"And you are?" asked the dog gruffly, eyeing him. Peter fought back a shiver. This dog could do some serious damage.

"Peter Bishop," he said abruptly, not liking or trusting the hound. The girl pouted.

"Come on you two," she said. "Play nice!" The dog growled low in its throat, but backed down.

"She said you could help us," Peter snapped.

"I could," he said. "But not for you. For her."

"Whatever," said Peter, rolling his eyes.

"If it's all 'whatever' to you, I don't have to help!"

"Never mind," sighed Peter. "I'm sorry."

"Ok," said Charlie finally. "I can take you to the Raven. Is that what you had in mind?"

"It's perfect," said the girl, beaming at him. "Thanks."

"Where is the Raven?"

"At the heart of the city," said Charlie. "Which is why I'm the only one who can get you there."

"And how are you going to get us there?" asked Peter sceptically.

"Simple. I can travel through the city by thinking about it. So I just have to think YOU through instead of me."

"Think us through?" repeated Peter. This world was completely crazy.

"It's easy. I can explain it scientifically, if you want," Charlie offered dryly.

"Thanks, I'm good."

"Great! Then let's go!" exclaimed the girl. "Thanks again, Charlie." She kissed his nose. The giant dog tried to look gruff, but it was clear he was pleased.

"Stand together. Hold hands or link arms or something."

She skipped over to him and wrapped her hand in his. Her hand was small and warm, and strangely smooth. It was kind of nice, though.

"We're ready!" she announced. The big dog screwed his eyes shut and focused, his ears flopping forwards over his face. A strange tingling spread throughout Peter's body, almost unpleasant, but not quite. He could tell they were about to disappear.

"Here we go."

* * * * *

Olivia shivered in the cool air outside the lab. It felt so wrong. She should be in there with Peter. But this might be the only way she could save him, or herself. She glanced down at her arm and fought a wave of nausea. The hole in her forearm went almost all the way through. There was one on her hand, and there were several that were burning their way through both her shirt and stomach. She winced as her fingers drifted over her back. There were at least five holes on her ribs. She didn't want to know what would happen if one of those hit her spine. She could barely breathe. Then a car honked.

"Olivia! Liv!" a voice called. Olivia froze. This was the last thing she needed.

"Aunt Liv!" a small voice cried. She slowly turned around. Her sister's car was cruising up to the curve. Ella's face was poking out of the window.

"Hey, Bells," she said, walking over. She crouched down so only her face was showing.

"I went to school!" she announced proudly.

"Yeah. Ella's first day of school here," said Rachel, peering out her own window. The pride in her voice was unmistakable. A feeling of guilt surged up in Olivia's stomach. With everything that had been happening, she had been neglecting her sister and niece lately. There would have to be some serious family time after this. But now, she just had to go.

"I can't wait to hear about it. But now, I've got something really big going on at work. Can you tell me about it tonight?" Olivia asked. There. Now Peter would have to wake up soon for her to keep her promise.

"Aw," whined Ella.

"Of course," said Rachel. "Go be Superman. But don't forget about us!" It was joke, with just a tinge of a rebuke.

"Of course. I'll see you two later, okay?"

"Okay!" cried Ella. As the white Toyota cruised away, Ella's voice drifted back out of the open window.

"Mommy, Aunt Livvie had holes!"

Olivia smiled, but the grin slid off her face like coffee through a body (in other words, very quickly) as she caught sight of her arm. The hole went all the way through. It was time to go. Peter. Peter couldn't end up like this. She wouldn't let him. SHe quickened her pace, and in only a few minutes, she was at the entrance to Massive Dynamics. She stared up at the imposing logo over the front door and took a deep breath, steeling herself.

_Peter,_ she thought one last time and pushed her way in.

"Here we go."

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**Now. I typed all this up. You can type just a few words to help me! Pretty pleases. Reviews are oxygen!!!!!!! Concrit is appreciated, so are suggestion for future chapters.**


	10. Chapter 10 Astrid

**So, ChappaEyebrow pointed out that the Massive Dynamic HQ is in New York. I don't know if this is true, but if it is, super sorry. She didn't walk all the way from Harvard to the Big Apple in, like, 10 minutes. Just pretend for me. Also, Nina's last name is Sharp, without an E. Sorry for that too. Thanks, Goladyvols!**

**One more thing. Discard the finale. Olivia is not in a parallel universe. Neither is William Bell.**

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Peter groaned. He hurt all over. It was like someone had taken a giant sledge hammer and pounded his body into mush. The last time he felt like this, Big Eddie had just come after him for the money. Which he hadn't had. Wait. Who was Big Eddie? What money? Ugh, this was a pain.

He pushed himself up into a sitting position against a wall behind him. So. There was a wall and a floor. He knew that much.

"You awake?" asked a voice. He groaned again, blinking away the dark spots over his eyes. A girl was crouching next to him, in almost the same position she had been in when he had seen her in the forest. Not A girl, THE girl.

"What's your name, anyways?" he asked. Ouch. His throat was parched. He ran his tongue over dry lips.

"Here," she said, offering him a cup of water. He took it in shaky hands.

"Where are we?"

"We're in the Raven's cage," she giggled.

"Cage?" he asked. His head was clearing a little bit. He glanced around. Sure enough, he was leaning against a giant golden pillar, one of many, forming a giant circle. He looked up. They weren't pillars, they were bars, curving over, at least 100 feet above them, at a single vertex. A cage, all right.

"So if this is the cage, where's the raven?" he asked, draining the glass.

"She's coming," said the girl. "She wants to make sure you're okay first. We bumped into a few buildings on the way."

"That's why I feel like shit," he groaned. "Couldn't your friend have been a little more careful?"

"It's not his fault," she pouted. "Anyways. You feeling better yet?"

"Yeah. I'm much better."

"Ok," she said. "You can come out now!"

There was a strange sensation against his back, then he was leaning against the air.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Peter, pin-wheeling his arms. "What was that?"

He turned around. The pillar was a few feet back.

"What happened?" he asked. The girl's laughter rang out through out the whole cage.

"That wasn't a pillar," she finally explained. "That was the raven."

"What?"

Then there was a strange screeching from above and Peter glanced up. A huge black bird careened in small circles around the perimeter of the cage. It was magnificent. Its' glossy feathers caught the light, as did its' golden beak and talons. Its' eyes were small, but they shone with intelligence. With another caw, the raven came to rest in the center of the cage, peering at him.

Swallowing hard, he stood up.

"Can... can it speak?" he whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

"It's not an it, silly!" she exclaimed. "It's a she. And she can't talk like this."

"Like this," he repeated. What was it about this place and giant animals?

The Raven shimmered. He watched, awed, as the feathers were sucked back into the bird skin, as the feet shortened, as the neck lengthened and moved back. The body was sucked in, forming a human shape. The wings shortened, pulled in on themselves, the feathers at the end hardened and pulled apart into fingers. A human stood there, in a white robe similar to a toga. A strangely familiar human. The name jumped to his mind, though he couldn't quite recall where he had heard it before.

Astrid.

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"Agent Dunham," said Nina Sharp pleasantly. "For what may we thank this honor?"

"Cut the crap," demanded Olivia, laying her arm face up on the desk. "Look at this."

"A hole."

"Yes. A hole. Holes are not normal."

"Indeed," said Nina, smiling. "And what does this have to do with me?"

"Not you. William Bell," said Olivia bluntly. The smile slid off the woman's face.

"What do you want with William?"

"Cortexiphan."

Nina's jaw dropped.

"Excuse me?"

"These holes? They can be cured with cortexiphan, among other things. The other ingredients are easy. But since Dr. Bishop's memory is not at it's fullest, Dr. Bell is the only who can help us."

"Us?" asked Nina.

"Yes. Myself... and Peter Bishop."

Nina's mouth dropped another inch.

"Peter? Peter... got exphilion on him?"

"Exphilion?" asked Olivia. "What do you know about this?"

"Did either of you ingest any? I need to know."

"Why?" demanded Olivia. "I need you to tell me."

"No, I need you to tell me!" exclaimed Nina. Olivia had never seen her this upset.

"No," said Olivia finally. Her eyes never strayed from the other woman's face.

"Thank god," said Nina, slumping back in her chair. "Thank god."

"Now you. What's exphilion?"

"It's the complimentary drug to cortexiphan. They were made as... I suppose you would say as opposites."

"Opposites?"

"Yes. The children who were administered cortexiphan were meant to be... you could say 'warriors.' But the children who were given exphilion were meant to be 'healers.' While cortexiphan enhances perceptions, exphilion enhances all physical senses," explained Nina.

"What about the holes?" asked Olivia.

"Exphilion was quite a bit more... dangerous than cortexiphan. When one simply got it on them, holes would be burned through them, like what happened to you. However, if it was ingested without one having been suitably preped, it could be deadly. Even if the child had been primed, many never recovered."

"Why doesn't Walter know about this?"

"It was... quite traumatic for him. Being forced to helplessly watch children suffer. Few survived initiation. Fewer survived the trials that came after that. Walter's memory erased itself. I suspect he thought it was a surgical acid?"

"Yes," said Olivia suspiciously.

"Bell... helped him forget. He requested it, of course. Dr. Bell would never work on unwilling subjects."

"Except naive child test subjects, of course," said Olivia sarcastically, anger boiling through her. Exphilion sounded worse than cortexiphan. "Anyways. What we need is cortexiphan."

"I will give it to you," said Nina.

"Just like that?" asked Olivia suspiciously.

"Of course not. Everything has its price."

_Peter, _Olivia thought. _You're doing this for Peter. He did it for you, remember?_

"What do you want?" she asked regretfully.

"As I said, almost none of the children survived exphilion. One, to be exact. I want you to bring her to me."

"Her?"

"Your friend. Astrid."

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**So, I didn't know where this chapter was going to go when I started it. I actually forgot about the whole linking word at the end when I finished Peter's part, so the whole 'Astrid had a drug as a child' thing was super spur of the moment. Anyways. I own nothing. Except exphilion. Feel free to steal that :)**

**So. Please review. Pretty, pretty, pretty please. It always means so much to me.**


	11. Chapter 11 You

**Wolfa Moon, Alison M. DOBELL, bluerock500, and My Golden Glow, thanks for the reviews! As always, much appreciated (^_^) Not much to say today. But I miss Fringe. And I don't own it. Fringe, I mean. I don't own Fringe. And plus, I have an excuse for the couple week hiatus. Sleep Away camp. So don't hate me!**

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Chapter 13- You

"Astrid?" he asked. His voice was no more than a week whisper. He cleared his throat and said her name again, stronger.

"Yes," she said, smiling at him. "Hello, Peter."

"How do you know my name?" he asked. She smirked.

"I'm nosy," she replied. "You want my help."

"That would be appreciated," he said without thinking. He knew this woman. But from where?

"What's your mission?"

"Excuse me?" he asked, pulling his thoughts back to the present.

"Your mission," she repeated patiently. "Why are you here?"

"I need to know the ingredients in cortexiphan," he said. What the hell? Where had that come from? He hadn't even known that until he said it. He hadn't realized he was saying it, actually. And what was cortexiphan?

"Why do you think I can help?" she asked, a smile playing around the corners of her mouth.

"Because- ah," he started.

"I said you could," piped up the girl.

"You did?" asked Astrid. "Why would you do that?"

"Because you can," she said flatly. "Will you?"

She surveyed the two of them for several moments.

"Yes," she said finally. "I will."

"Thank you," said Peter, relieved. The sooner he got out of this hellhole the better. Wait. How was he going to get out? Where was he getting out to? Where was here? Too many questions, no answers. He hated Walter for this.

Walter! His father. Insane. A scientist. Olivia made Peter get him out. Olivia, he remembered her too. FBI agent. She had been treated with cortexiphan! That was why he had to find the ingredients. It all made sense! But already, he could feel it slipping away.

_No,_ he thought, willing himself to remember. _No._

He could hear Astrid talking he pulled himself back to reality.

"Wait. Come again," he said. She smirked.

"I _said_," she enunciated. "That I'll show you what you need to know. But after that, you have to figure to how to get back."

"What? Figure out how to get back?" he asked, confused. "I thought as soon as I got the answer, I would just... wake up."

"Not quite," she said. "You have to get back yourself. It won't be easy."

"Just me?"

"She can help you," said Astrid. The girl clapped her hands in delight. "But it's up to you."

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"Astrid?" asked Olivia numbly. Why did it have to be Astrid? Out of all the people in the world, why did it have to be her? Out of the four of them on the Fringe division, Astrid had always been the pure one. The clean, untouched one. Why did that have to be changed? Astrid was the ideal for all of them.

"Yes. Is she in the lab?" asked Nina.

"Why?"

"I'll just go with you."

Olivia regarded her suspiciously. She didn't want Nina in the lab. She didn't want him to see _her_ Peter like this. She didn't trust the older woman at all, especially not around an unconscious, drugged Peter. And now, knowing about Astrid... the basis of her world was crumbling. Peter's arm's weren't even there to hold her through it.

"That's my price," said Nina. "Take it or leave it."

"Alright," sighed Olivia, in defeat. "All right."

Nina stood up, pulling on her jacket.

"I'll get a car," she said. In under five minutes, a limo was at the door.

"A limo?" asked Olivia incredulously.

"It does the job," smirked Nina.

"Sure," said Olivia, rolling her eyes.

But like Nina said, it did the job. In 5 minutes, they were back at Harvard.

"Walter? Astrid?" called Olivia, striding into the lab, Nina hurrying close behind.

"Hang on one minute," yelled Astrid up at them. She was bent over Peter, sweat dripping down her brow. Olivia's heart skipped a few beats. She rushed towards them.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Astrid stepped back and Olivia saw the problem. Peter was gone. Partly. Not gone as in, he had holes. Gone as in he was missing his hand on one arm and his forearm an the other. He had lost both his feet and ankles. Just disappeared.

"Holy crap," she whispered, then louder she asked, "What do we do?"

"Nothing," said Walter calmly. As Astrid had worked, he had sat. And eaten chicken. "He must wake up first. It's greatly a mental process."

"What if he doesn't wake up in time?" Olivia screeched at him. For a second, fear creased the scientist's brow.

"There is nothing we can do," he whispered, dropping the chicken on the floor and rocking back and forth.

"Then wake him up!" she yelled.

"I can't, goddamnit!" he yelled back. A tear found its way down his nose.

"It... it's okay. Both of you," said Astrid. "It's going to be okay."

"What... what's wrong with Peter?" asked Nina, shaken.

"He knows what Bell used to make cortexiphan. We need to know the ingredients, to help Olivia. He's going back. It's not a memory, it's a fact existing without a memory."

"How is that possible?" asked Nina.

"He's missing a period of some years in his mind. Not that he forgot it, somehow, it's just not there. We also believe that he may be able to learn why he doesn't remember this. Why he has different memories than what happened. But anyways, the tank is used for memories. This machine is entirely different."

"The ingredients for cortexiphan?" she asked, regaining her composure. "I know those."

"What?" asked Olivia, then finally remembered what they were doing there. She glared at Nina. God. She hated them intensely for a moment. Nina, and Bell, and even Walter. For what they done to her. What they had done to Astrid. For what they done to countless other children.

"Astrid, can I talk to you for a moment? In private?" she asked.

"Whatever you need to say, you can say it here," said Astrid determinedly.

"Alright," Olivia agreed, shooting a quick glance at Walter. "But you might want to sit down."

Astrid sat down in the chair by Peter's chair, looking around. She gnawed on her lower lip.

"Ms. Sharpe might want to tell you," said Olivia moving aside. Nina moved up.

"When you were younger, you were treated with a drug manufactured by Massive Dynamics."

"No. No, no," protested Astrid. "That's... that's Olivia. She was given cortexiphan."

"Yes," said Nina. "But you were given a drug too. It's called exphilion. It's almost the opposite of cortexiphan. With suitable training, you could have... physical properties similar to Superman. Minus the flying."

"I don't remember any of this."

"You were administered the drug when you were seven. You went through two months of adjusting, then a year of training. But there was a accident. It was on purpose, I mean. But you were so young, you couldn't have known... suffice it to say, you were deemed a danger to the public. Your memory was erased, your powers were limited. You were released."

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "What... accident?"

"There was a scientist," she explained. "Who was trying to train you. You cared about him, like a father or older brother. But he saw you as a lab rat. One day, he started kicking you. You had refused to do one of his tests because you were tired. He was kicking you and yelling at you, trying to get you to do the task. There was a table, by the wall. You picked it up and threw it at him. It hit his head and, well, you can imagine the mess. You threw it at a speed of 150 miles per hour."

"150 miles per hour," she murmured blankly.

"What do you want with her?" interrupted Olivia. Now she was angry. Astrid had gone pale in the face and was shaking slightly. What gave her the right to do this?

"I want to continue her training," Nina said. "There's a drug that could counteract the one given to halt her skills. I would like to administer that to you and continue your training."

"150 miles per hour," she repeated weakly.

"I'll tell you what you need to know. If you agree," said Nina.

"Is that a threat?" demanded Olivia.

"Of course not," said Nina, more to Astrid than anyone else. "It's an offering. It's up to you."

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**This was a long chapter. A lot of dialouge, though. Oh well. How was it? I like anything and everything you have to say. PLEASE! I'll give you a mental cookie. And a Peter Bishop :-) . If you review. My story takes place before the finale, but it does have the whole 'peterisfromanotherreality' concept in it. In case you were confused. Also. If anyone has any idea why my email account isn't receiving any pms or chapter updates or reviews or ANYTHING from here, I'd appreciate it. So. Review!**


	12. Chapter 12 Away

**I don't own Fringe. Um. What else? Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Sorry for the long wait. Vacation... and writers' block... Oh, and I officially hate camping. I went for my first time. It was miserable. I think that that was what brutally murdered my muse. Thank god for reincarnation.**

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Chapter 14- Away

"Alright," said Peter. "I can do that."

_I hope, _he added silently to himself.

"Can you remember it?" she asked. He looked over at the girl. She gave him an encouraging grin.

"Yes," he said. For once, he was confident. He would remember. He had to.

"I'm only going to tell you once, so be sure you listen."

The world disappeared. He was trapped in a sea of words. He couldn't process all of them, just had to try to catch as many of them as he could. He snagged them, one after another, sucking them in. He couldn't breathe, could barely process. He just grabbed at the words as they flew past. Chemical compounds, elements, amounts... they all swirled through the air to his mind. He shut his eyes, just letting it rush over him. The flow slowed. A last lonely element drifted through the air. Peter snagged it and everything reappeared. His knees almost buckled and he half collapsed, but the girl was there, under his arm, holding him up. She was looking at him with her big eyes, almost but not quite not smiling.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, gasping for air. "Wow."

"Do you know the formula?" asked Astrid softly.

"Hang on," he said, closing his eyes, and it was all there. "Yes."

"Good," she said, but sadness tinged her voice.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You're going to leave now," she whispered, staring up at the roof of her cage. "You're the first people to come in years. I'm going to go crazy. I am crazy, almost."

Peter felt the sadness overflowing from the woman. For the first time, he realized how small she was. At least a head shorter than him. There was nothing he could do. He knew that. But he didn't just want to leave her in a cage, alone with her thoughts. She turned away from them, sitting on the ground with her knees drawn up to chest.

"I can't stand it anymore," she said, her voice stable, but he heard an element of madness in it. "I don't know how to do it yet. But I'll think of a way. I'm done now. There's nothing left."

"Why can't you leave?" he asked. "You could transform into something small and slip out through the bars.

"This is my punishment," she said. The girl stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear, "She made the cage herself. With her mind. She can't let go. She's holding herself prisoner."

"What did you do?" he asked, sitting beside her, close but not quite touching her.

"I killed him," she said softly. "It was an accident. I was so, so angry. I can't do it again. I won't do it again!"

"Who?" Peter asked.

"It's not my fault," she whispered, tears slipping down her face. "It's not my fault."

"Exactly," he said. "You can't blame yourself for everything that goes wrong. You say that you don't do it again, but you are doing it again. To yourself."

She looked at him, heart break written all over her face. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest, sobbing. He looked over her shoulder at the girl. She smiled at him and mouthed, "Thank you."

Astrid's tears slowed. She pulled her head away, staring him straight in the eye. Her eyes were so brown, like liquid chocolate.

"It's not your fault," he said, softly and slowly. "Let it go. For yourself."

She was sliding up, just a cloud of gas. She was still herself though, golden light beaming through. Her arms were spread out, Her eyes closed and her head tilted slightly back. She was smiling a peaceful smile. A strange wind blew her robe. For a moment of eternity, she hung there, then her eyes opened.

"Thanks," she said. Then a bright flash of light and she was gone.

"Ready to go?" he asked, turning to the girl. She smiled at him. Behind her, the bars were dissolving.

"I knew you could do it," she said. Together, they walked away.

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Astrid stood up, pacing the lab. Behind her, Peter moaned. His whole right leg up to the knee was gone. It made Olivia sick. She could still feel his hands in her hair, trying to comfort her. If he didn't wake up, he would never hold her again. She forced her attention back to Astrid.

The lab assistant turned back, staring Nina Sharp directly in the eye. She opened her mouth.

"I-" she said, then her eyes closed.

"Astrid?" Olivia called, jumping to her feet. A tear dripped down the face of the darker woman.

"Walter?" Olivia demanded.

"It's not my fault," Astrid whispered weakly.

"Oh, no," Walter whispered. "He's connecting."

"What?"

"People he knows will be in his subconcious world. He might interact with them, might talk to them, might even touch them. But now the exphilion's causing him to extend his conciousness. He's in Astrid's subconcious world now, actually in her mind, changing her thoughts. He could do good. Or he could do very, very bad."

Olivia turned back to Astrid. She knew better than to ask what she should do. But thankfully, Astrid's eyes opened back up. A strange look was on her face. A peaceful look. She was smiling.

"Thank you," she whispered to Peter's sleeping form. She turned back to Nina.

"Whatever you need," she said. "But on one condition. I don't want the ingredients in cortexiphan. I want you to tell us how to wake Peter up."

"Astrid," Olivia hissed. "I need to talk to you. Now."

Olivia pulled Astrid into her small office.

"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded. "Why are you going with her? And why don't you want the ingredients to cortexiphan?"

"Peter has the ingredients," she said softly. "He knows them now. But I owe him everything. He saved me. He finally set me free. You don't know what it's like, to be a prisinor to your own fear for years, never knowing why, almost going crazy. And then, just knowing isn't enough. What you have to know is that it isn't your fault."

_I do know,_ Olivia thought. _I do._

Determination was strong on her face. Olivia felt a brief flash of jealousy that Peter had reached out to Astrid. Not to her. Bile rose in her throat, but she pushed down her feelings. They could wait. Like she had thought earlier, Peter was the important thing here.

"Fine," Olivia sighed. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"So do I," said Astrid. She turned on her heel and walked back into the lab. She nodded.

"You're coming?" Nina Sharp asked.

"Yes," said Astrid. "If you tell us how to wake up Peter."

"I assume Walter is trying to make a drug that will counteract the 'whole' effect of exphilion."

"Yes," said Olivia, slapping herself. How could she have forgotten that the real reason she had gone to see Nina was to get cortexiphan?

"I also assume you need cortexiphan."

"Yes," put in Walter.

"I'll give you the cortexiphan you need. But you know that now that he has started coming apart, it won't fix it. He just needs to wake up."

Walter nodded hopefully.

"But if you administer this drug into his bloodstream, it should wake him up."

"Thank you," said Walter, relief spreading over his face. Then again, this time to Astrid, "Thank you." She nodded, her face tight.

"Wake him up," she whispered to Olivia. "Take care of him."

She turned. Nina stood up next to her, gave her an appraising look. Together, they walked away.

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**So. There it is. I bet you can tell I like Astrid a whole hell of a lot. The bolivia couple no longer sparks my intreat. Pastrid all the way! Don't worry, I know I'm the only one. This is still a bolivia story. Anyways. Please feed my muse! Review! You read it. Reviewing is only fair.**


	13. Chapter 13 Him

**Yeah... eh... sorry about the long wait. No excuses this time. My Golden Glow- I know I said a week. Can you forgive me? Ever?**

**I don't own Fringe. BUT IT'S COMING BACK! YEAH! SEPTEMBER 17, BABY!**

**And I realized that I've been giving the chapters the wrong numbers. Sorry 'bout that. Anyways. On to the story!**

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Chapter 13-

Though they started out of the cage, they didn't get far. Apparently leaving had not been the best idea. Dogs, even bigger than Charlie, surrounded them, slobbering and growling, eyes glowing red.

"Okay," said Peter slowly, freezing. "What do we do now?"

"We stay very, very still," said the girl. Then she giggled. Peter nearly growled himself.

"Now is not the time," he whispered. She laughed again.

"What are they going to do with us, do you think?" he asked.

"Take us up to the castle. Now that they know who you are, they want you alive."

"What do you mean, know who I am? Who am I? Who are they?"

She chuckled. "Now is not the time."

"That's probably smart," he said as the biggest dog moved forward.

"Come with us. Now, human," he growled, low in his throat. Peter knew his voice. As it did for Astrid, the name popped into his mind Big Eddie. But he couldn't quite remember...

He glanced over at the girl. She nodded, smirking, and he followed them through the streets. As he walked, he really got a good look at the streets. People were just starting to leave their houses. They stared at the two prisoners wide-eyed, but almost every one of them looked familiar to Peter. They were all wearing blue body-suits up to their necks and silver boots and gloves on their feet. They mostly were cleaning their houses and streets, but a few of them were climbing up the stalks of the flowers or tapping at the balls of lights. But it still seemed completely unnatural. No one was talking. They were all adults.

"You there! Back!" one of the dogs barked. His voice was familiar, too. Peter turned to look at who he was barking at. A thin woman, blond hair, was scrambling out of their way. Terror was frozen on her face and as a third dog advanced on her, she started to cry. And with her wail, Peter recognized her voice.

"Tessa?" he gasped. He couldn't remember who she was, just her soft lips against his and his hands running through her hair... then it snapped into place. He remembered exactly who she was. She was his first girlfriend. She had lived down the street from him on the City of Spades her entire life. They had gone to the same school. Their mothers had been best friends, both Fruit Pickers. Their fathers had both been Street Washers. Why he hadn't been able to remember that, he didn't know. Did he have amnesia? Why had he forgotten the city he had lived in his whole life? What was going on here?

Looking over at the girl, he recognized her, too. She had been exiled from the City when he was still a child, exiled for murder. He shrank away from her disgusted.

"It's you," he whispered, sneering. She froze for a second, staring at him until the dog prodded her from behind. "No," she whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."

"You should be," Peter said. She had broken the Rules. She deserved to be punished. Of course she did. He had said the pledge of allegiance every day in school. The pledge to their ruler. But there was something not quite right. With his amnesia, his thinking had changed. What was the rebellion in him?

A scream echoed from behind them. He turned around to see the dog pounce on Tessa. But she had deserved it. Hadn't she? What had she done except not get out of the dogs' way in time? He shook his head. What the hell was with him?

"Peter," she whispered. He looked at her. Her smile was gone. That hadn't happened before. A tear ran down her face. "Look at me. You know me. You have to remember. You have to save me."

"I don't know what the hell is wrong with you or who the hell you think you are, but you need help. Get out of my life," he growled. But his conscience twinged. She smiled again, but it was forced. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, make her feel alright. What was happening to him?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

There were a couple seconds of silence, then the door swung shut with a bang.

"What am I going to tell Broyles?" asked Olivia, laughing shakily. Walter was already turning away, but he paused for a second. "Good assistant. Nice girl. What was her name?"

"Astrid," she said softly. "Now Peter owes her his life."

"Does he?" asked Walter. "Or are they even? Or does she owe him? It depends on who you are."

"I suppose so," agreed Olivia absentmindedly. "I suppose so." Then she snapped to attention. "Mix the drug, Walter. It's time to wake him up."

"Yes," said Walter. "If his blood accepts the drug."

"You mean it might not work?" asked Olivia.

"Exactly. There may be hope for you yet, girl."

"Thank you, Walter," she said. She sat down by Peter. He was much worse. His whole left arm was gone, his right leg up too his thigh. The clothes were empty. His right ear was gone as well, and the hole in his chest was bigger. Olivia looked down at her own arm. The whole in her hand had stopped expanding, but there were more holes in her arms and stomach. She winced.

"What about me, Walter? I can't exactly go home like this."

"Huh? Oh, your holes. Yes. what we're injecting in Peter's blood should help you, too. I'll give it to you first."

"No!" She snapped. "Peter first."

"We need you whole," he said. "You're going to have to help with the injection and you're going to need full use of your body."

"But..."

"Who is the scientest?" he demanded.

"Who's the madman?" she returned.

He smiled. "Fair point." Then his face turned serious. "This is my son, Agent Dunham. I am going to try to keep him as safe as possible."

There was a knock on the door, then Charlie pushed his way in. He was carrying a small sandwich bag.

"I saw Sharp in the parking lot," he said, shooting Olivia with a questioning look. "She gave me this. A vial of lizard blood and another drug, she wouldn't tell me what. Astrid was with her, and Nina said to tell Broyles that she wouldn't be coming back. What the hell is going on?"

"She won't tell you," Walter advised him gravely. Olivia was already pulling the bag out of his hands.

"Make it," she commanded Walter. "Make it now. We have to save him."


	14. Chapter 14 Nothing

**FRINGE IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nothing more needs to be said. Except that evil Charlie kicks a$$! So does Leena, for any Warehouse 13 watchers.**

**Not quite a week :-). Not nearly, actually. Sorry!**

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Chapter 14- Nothing

The dogs had them walking for at least 15 minutes before they arrived at a building just as large and shapeless as the others, but this one was completely gold. Peter hesitated at the door but when one of them snapped at his heels, he hurried inside. Inside, there was nothing but a golden staircase descending as far down as he could see, until the shining stairs faded into darkness, the tiny flecks of light bouncing off them like stars in the night.

"Where are we?" Peter whispered in awe. It was a retorical question, but the girl answered anyways.

"The palace," she said, her voice reverberating in the hollow room. Her face was practically glowing, the light bouncing off of her hair. She looked beautiful... _No. Those thoughts are off limits,_ Peter scolded himself. _She broke the Rules._

"Down," barked Big Eddie sharply. "Now."

Peter started down the stairs, but slipped on the first step. It was wet. He put his hand on the rail to steady himself, but another dog barked, "No! Don't touch it!"

Peter started down again, much more carefully. He didn't slip again, but the girl wasn't so lucky. About halfway down, she yelped. Peter spun around to see her feet up in the air, back on the stairs, bouncing down. He winced every time she hit a step. There was a crunching noise. Peter took off, running, after her. He found her, curled in a ball, giggling and crying softly. He wrapped his arms around her, rocked her back and forth.

"You're okay," he whispered. "You're gonna be fine."

"Who are you?" The rough whisper came form behind them. Peter spun around, searching for the voice. He found the man, barely a shadow, with a mop in hand. His name tag read, "Walter."

"Who are you?" Peter asked rudely.

"I asked you first," said the man- Walter- pouting.

"No talking!" growled a dog. The pack was finally reaching the bottom of the stairs. "You two, come with us, now."

Peter shrugged at the old man, helped the girl up.

"Can you walk?" he asked quietly. She shrugged. He slipped an arm around her waist, supporting her. The dogs lead them into a small passageway off to the right.

"You will be seen when we get a chance," Big Eddie told them, sliding open a door to a cage. Peter hesitated for a moment, but when one of the dogs growled threateningly, he helped the girl inside. The door swung shut with a click behind them and by the time he had turned around, the dogs were gone. They were left in almost complete darkness. It was blinding, the complete absence of light. Peter couldn't tell if his eyes were even open. He moved his fingers onto the face of the girl. Her eyes were closed. Her cheeks were streaked with tears. She was still smiling.

"I'm fine," she whispered. "How are you?"

"Alive," he said dryly. "I just have to wonder for how much longer?"

But he didn't have long to wait. Within minutes, a torch was bobbing along towards them. It was Walter.

"They want to see you," he said in a sing-song voice, unlocking the door. They both started out, but Walter put a hand in front of the girl.

"Not you, sorry," he said. "Just the boy, they said. That's what they said. I wonder if they'll give me food for this. I am really craving some dried peas."

Peter rolled his eyes at the girl, trying to look carefree. But she just looked worried in the fading light, although she was smiling.

"See you soon," he said softly. She nodded. "See you soon."

Walter led him further down the same hallway. Peter memorized the doors they took. Right. Left. Left again. Right. Right. Right. Left... They stopped, right outside a golden door, contrasting starkly with the dimly lit silver hallways.

"In there," whispered Walter. "Be careful."

Peter hesitated for just a heartbeat before pushing through. Inside was a silver table, perfectly round. Two chairs, one empty. The one facing him was occupied by a short woman with short, straight red hair and a golden crown. Her left arm appeared robotic.

"Nina Sharp," she said.

"Peter Bishop," he replied, nodding, a sarcastic tone ringing in his voice.

"I know exactly who you are, Peter. What I'm hoping is that you don't."

"Don't know who I am?" Peter asked, confused.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Peter Bishop," he said. "I already told you."

"Where are you?"

"The city of spades."

"How long have you lived here?"

"All my life."

"Perfect," she said. There were several seconds of silence.

"Why do you care?" Peter demanded.

"No reason," Nina answered. "But believe me, those answers were good. You just saved yourself a lot of pain, Peter. But welcome to the Palace. Welcome to the City."

"I've lived here my whole life," he said. He didn't like this, not one bit. This woman was playing mind games with him.

"Take him back!" she ordered loudly. Walter pushed in through the door.

"No!" he yelled, standing up. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Be quiet," she commanded.

"What the hell am I doing here, and why do you care if I know who I am?"

"Walter, do it," Nina said sharply.

"But m'am-"

"Now!"

Peter didn't even notice Walter come up behind him. He just felt a sharp sting in the back of his neck, then he descended into nothing.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Walter busied himself around the lab, mixing various chemicals. Small explosions kept bursting out of the vial and Olivia winced as he hurried back over to her, his eyebrows singed.

"It's ready," he whispered, his voice hoarse. He glanced around.

"Young man! Make yourself useful," he shouted up at Charlie. Charlie paused for a second, looking to Olivia for confirmation. She nodded. He jogged down the steps over to her.

"I'm here," he said. "What now?"

"Give Agent Dunham an injection of this," Walter instructed. "I shall prepare Peter."

Charlie took the shot, but he paused.

"What's this about, Liv? He did give you a drug overdose and throw you into a tank of rusty water."

"And it worked, didn't it? Just do it, Charlie. It'll help with the holes."

"Yeah. And about those..."

"Later. Just do it," she said, offering him her arm. Wincing, he pushed the needle in as quickly as possible. She gasped as the world spun before her eyes.

"Walter?" she asked, but she couldn't hear anything. Bells were ringing in her ears. A rainbow danced in front of her. Slowly the colors solidified and the ringing disappeared. She realized that Charlie had his arms around her, holding her up. For a moment, she thought he was Peter, then the last bit of fog floated away and tears collected in her eyes. Peter might never hold her again. Unless...

"Walter? You ready to give the drug to Peter?"

"Ready when you are!" he responded excitedly. She nodded tightly, stepping away from Charlie. He cast her a worried look, but stepped back.

"I'm going to stay," he told her.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Charlie, but if this gets messy, I don't want you drawn into it too."

He sighed. "I knew you were going to say that. Fine, but I'll be within reach of my cell phone at all time. Don't be scared to call."

"Thanks. It's good to know I have someone I can count on."

He nodded and gave her a tight lipped smile, left the room. Olivia turned to Walter.

"Now. We have to do it now."

He smiled and nodded. "Excellent. Let us begin!"

Walter held out a small needle. The liquid inside was green.

"What do I do?" she asked.

"You give it to him. My hands are a little shaky."

She nodded, determined. Walter pushed back Peter's sleeve and held his arm out for her. She took a deep breath and pushed the needle right into his arm. Counting to three, she injected the chemical. When it was all gone, she slowly pulled it out.

"Three..." Walter muttered. "Two... One..."

Nothing.

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**Sorry again for the long update. And to clarify, Charlie is still Charlie here. And Olivia's not having random flahsbacks or anything. Like, think before season 2.**

**For anyone who watches Defying Gravity, check out my one-shot. Please please please! And even more, review. REVIEW. REVIEW. REVIEW. REVIEW. How else can I drive the message home? I'm desperate.**


	15. Chapter 15 Screamed

**Sorry for the long wait! I know I'm terrible. I'll try harder, I promise :-) Stage crew every night till 8, then 3 hours of homework... yeah, I've been busy. But that's no excuse. I'M SORRRRRRrrrrryyyy.... -gurgle- And I've been starting a lot of chapters with Peter waking up, haven't I? I just noticed that. Don't hate me.**

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Chapter 15- Screamed

Peter woke up, bleary, disoriented, and confused. There was a woman's face hovering anxiously above him.

"Olivia?" he asked sleepily, confused by the blond hair. Then his eyes cleared and he realized who it was. The girl. His girl... "What happened?"

"I don't know," she said, her smile fading. "A few hours ago, the old janitor threw you back in here, unconscious. What did she ask you?"

"Sharpe?" he asked, trying to sit up. His arms gave out under him and the girl gently pulled his head into her lap, gently stroking his hair. "She asked me who I was and where I had lived all my life."

"And what did you tell her?" asked the girl anxiously.

"Peter Bishop. And here, the City of Spades."

"No!" she shrieked. He jumped, but within a second, it was a fight to keep his eyes open again. "You can't give up that easily! You can't just let her win!"

"I"m not letting anyone win!" he protested. "What should I have said? It's true!"

"No it's not!" she exclaimed. "Fight it, Peter! I know you can remember!" She was barely smiling. The corners of her mouth were still tilted upwards, but it looked more like a grimace.

"Remember what?" he asked, but it didn't really make a difference, did it? He was already so far away... drifting... falling, but slowly...

"Stay with me," he heard her whisper, and he forced his eyes open again. "Please, you can do this!"

"Do what, exactly?" he asked, but it didn't come out right. It was slurred and jumbled on his tongue. Her limp blond hair swung into his face as she hovered over him. Her eyes were so big, and that pretty little mouth...

"You're beautiful," he said, smiling. As he said it, he knew he was delirious. But for some reason, he didn't care. It didn't really make a difference, did it? It was nicer this way... softer.

"You gave him too much!" It was a different woman shrieking. Nina... Nina... Dull? No, Sharpe!

"I'm sorry," muttered another voice. Walter. Such a funny name.

"Walter," he murmured.

"Yes!" the girl exclaimed. "Think about Walter! You know who he is!"

"A janitor?" he asked drowsily. The lights. They were so pretty, spinning above him.

"No, no, harder," she said, leaning so close to his face, they were almost kissing. "Your father. Think, Peter, think! Astrid. Charlie. Walter. The Pattern. Nina Sharpe. Tessa. William Bell. Big Eddie. Harvard, Gene, fringe science, Hamburg Flight 627! Olivia!"

They sounded so familiar, names and places just on the tip of his tongue. Visions swam in and out of focus, just behind his eyes.

"Olivia," he slurred.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "That's right! You can do it!"

"Walter," he murmured.

"What's she doing?" Another voice broke through his thoughts. Sharpe again. "That girl. What is she doing?"

"Think," the girl yelled, sobbing. "This is your last chance!"

"Get her out of there!" Sharpe commanded. The voices blurred together, forming one.

"But ma'm-"

"Just do it!"

"Please! Remember!"

But he could no longer tell who spoke what. The only thing keeping him awaked was the girl's hands in his hair, her arms around his chest, her trembling legs under his head. Then she was being pulled away and his hands were blindly groping for her but it was too dark and nothing was there and everything was there and he couldn't focus and-

A scream. Her scream. The girl's scream, echoing all the way down the hall, pulling him back to reality. He shot up, sweaty and terrified, staring wildly around. The cage door was swinging open, Nina Sharp standing a few feet away. Walter had the girl wrapped tight in his arms, too tight. She was struggling, but even as Peter watched, a needle slid into her neck and her protests grew weaker and weaker until she fell limp.

"How long?" demanded Sharp.

"Less than a minute," said Walter, staring down. Tears dripped off the end of the older man's nose.

Peter leapt from the cage, grabbing the girl out of the janitor's arms.

"Stop him!" shrieked Nina, her voice oddly shrill. But Walter simply stared at her.

"No."

"What?" she asked, incredulous.

"I'm done killing for you," he said softly. "I'm sorry. I'm done."

Peter looked down at the girl- _his _girl- tears blurring his vision.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "It's my fault."

"No," she said, a smile still curving her lips. "No. Never." She raised her fingers and lightly touched his lips. "Peter, please. You need to remember. You jut need to try a little harder. Don't let me die in vain."

"You aren't going to die at all," he promised, holding her closer. She laughed softly, but it was a bitter laugh and the constant smile was almost gone. He had never seen her not smile before, but she wasn't now. A tear dripped off his nose onto hers.

"Peter," she whispered, locking eyes with him. "Thank you."

"Please," he moaned, rocking her back and forth. "I don't even know you're name."

"My name..." she started, but trailed off coughing. "My name..."

Her eyes closed. Her head dropped back and her body was suddenly a dead weight in his arms. Pain tore through him, so huge it was almost physical.

"No!" he roared, launching himself at Nina Sharp. He needed to hurt her. She, who had taken away his girl. His beautiful, happy, sweet girl. Who would never laugh again. Never smile. Because of the foul woman standing in front of him.

And just like that, he remembered. An inch before he reached Sharp, he was sucked from that world as he screamed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"No," Olivia whispered, starting to cry. She couldn't take it anymore. The wait, the worry, the helplessness. "No!"

"Peter," Walter said, staring at his lifeless son. "Don't do this. Please!"

"Come on, " Olivia shrieked, pulling his head off the bed onto her lap. "Please, Peter! You can do this! You just have to remember!"

He was disappearing. His arms, legs... almost all gone. Soon, he would be gone. She couldn't let that happen. Not to her Peter.

"Astrid, Charlie, Walter! The Pattern. Nina Sharpe! Tessa, William Bell. Big Eddie. Harvard, Gene, fringe science, Hamburg Flight 627!" she yelled hysterically. Her fingers were shaking as she stroked his hair, stroked his face. Walter tentatively put his arms around her, and suddenly, they were both crying, crying on each other.

"Please," she whispered into Walter's chest. The old man stared over her head at Peter, unable to take his eyes off the boy's face.

"You can do it," he said. "Remember Olivia."

And Peter's eyes flew open as he screamed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Short Olivia chapter. I know, I'm sorry. I thought that that about summed it up. Long Peter, though :-) . Only one more chapter! And, just to make me happy, let's try to get the review count up to fifty... fifty... fifty seven. Please? Not too bad? Just look up at the little review number, and if it's less than 57, review!**


	16. Chapter 16 Love

**Wow. 15 looooong chapters later, here we are. Thanks to those of you who have been with me from the beginning. Thanks who jumped on the bandwagon halfway through. Thanks to everyone who didn't find it till the end, but still took the time to read all the through. Thanks to all the reviews, thanks to all the favorites, and thanks to all the story alerts. This last chapter is for all of you. I hope I grew during this story and this last chapter is 16 times better than the first. Well, enough mush. On to the story. Oh, and this chapter starts with Olivia's POV for a change.**

"Peter!" Olivia shrieked, shaking him. His scream died, but his eyes stayed open.

"Where-" he started, his voice hoarse, "Where am I?"

"You're home," Olivia whispered in relief.

"Olivia?" he asked, staring up at her.

"Yes," she nodded, starting to cry.

"You're beautiful," he said simply, sitting up.

"What?" she asked.

"You're beautiful," he repeated, brushing a hair off her face. His eyes never left hers and she felt as if he was staring into her soul.

"What happened to you?" she asked. "Where did you go? What did you do?"

"There's time for the play by play later," he said. "But I did learn one important thing down there."

"And what's that?"

"Treasure what you have while you still have it." And with that, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her down next to him.

"Peter..." she said slowly.

"What?"

"Don't ever do that again."

And then, though she could not tell who started, they were kissing. And he tasted better than he did in her dreams. His arms around her, his hands tangled up in her hair, she closed her eyes and lost herself in the man she loved. Her kissed her cheeks, her nose, her crying eyes, then her mouth again. Finally, however he pulled away.

"What's wrong?" she asked anxiously, tightening her grip around him.

"I want to see my father," he explained, smiling.

"Oh," she said, and, regretfully, let him go. She watched, smiling slightly, as Peter walked over to the mad scientist.

"Peter," Walter said, his voice trembling. "Son."

"Father," Peter replied, then the two men had their arms around each other, holding each other close. Father and son. Olivia stood up and walked over to them. Walter noticed her first and held his arm out for her to join. Olivia was... ecstatic that Peter was back, holding her and making her laugh. She was so engrossed in him that she didn't even notice as Walter stepped back from the hug, letting the two younger people be together again.

And as Peter kissed her again, she knew that she would never let him go.

* * *

Peter was as happy as he'd ever been as he watched Olivia sleep that night. His father was alone in their hotel room, but he had promised to stay put. No, Peter had taken the FBI agent back to her flat. And now, as he watched her mumble through her dream, he knew he had found an angel.

Her hair spread over her pillow, it looked like spun gold in the dim light. Her face was relaxed and peaceful, and happier than he'd ever seen it. He sighed in contentment, settling back against her mattress. He parted the hair and kissed the back of her neck. She swatted at his hand, waking up.

"Peter?" she whispered, rolling over to face him. "I thought I would never love again, not after John died. And I was never good at this in the first place..."

"Do you want me to say it first?" he asked. She nodded gratefully. "Well, then. You are my world. You are my life. I would die for you or kill for you. I love you."

There was a long silence. Olivia closed her eyes, and Peter thought that she never looked more beautiful than when she whispered the next few words. "I can't do much better than that. But I want you to know that I love you too."

They were silent for a time, just wanting to be with each other. No words were required. It wasn't a silent silence, it was the silence of love. And in that warm silence, they eventually drifted to sleep, her face in his chest and his in her hair. Their hearts beating in symphony, they were at peace. And then, the only thing that could make the night more perfect happened: Peter began to dream.

It was the girl's face. His girl's face. He knew he was asleep, and he knew this wasn't a normal dream.

"Hello," she said, smiling.

"Hey," he greeted back.

"Peter, are you happy now?"

"More than anyone can know. And it's due to you."

"You're welcome," she joked.

"But what about you?" he asked, serious again. "Are you happy?"

"I am... at peace. I need to go now, but I was permitted to see you one last time. I wanted to say goodbye. And thank you."

"Wait!" he said desperately. "Before you go, can you at least tell me your name?"

She was already fading away when she answered. "Olivia."

Her bright smile was the last thing he saw before he sunk into a real sleep, holding his blond love close.

* * *

Many miles away, however, the peace and happiness that surrounded half of the Fringe Division was missing. A scared, nameless girl was trapped. This was her first test, and she was desperately afraid that she was going to fail. She was locked in a tiny, pitch black box, without enough room to stand. She let out a wail, pushing up against the top with all her strength. But it wasn't quite enough. Not yet. Outside, a woman dressed in a long lab coat sighed and jotted something down on her clipboard. Back inside, the girl summoned up the last of her determination. She drew a face in her mind, the face that gave her strength. _Peter,_ she thought, and Astrid shoved her way out of the box.

* * *

**What, you didn't think I was going to forget Astrid, did you? Naw. That was my favorite part. Anyways. Sorry to disappoint anyone who was hoping for some serious Peter-Olivia action, but I'm a high school freshman, and not about to write smut. I also happen to be a kissing virgin, so if this is completely far fetched, let me know. This is the last chapter, so please please please please please review. Can we get to 65? But you know, the more the better... Well, stay posted. More Fringe on the way.**


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